Archive for the ‘Wally Booth’ tag

The International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, an adjunct of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida, has named its 2013 class of inductees. We’ll give you the full list, but we thought one name on it really stood out, especially if you’re one of those independent-minded types – pun cheerfully intended – who rooted for American Motors.

That’s because the irrepressible Wally Booth is on the list. Booth teamed with partner Dick Arons to run a memorable and fast series of AMCs in Pro Stock during the 1970s. Booth wasn’t there to fill out a 16-car field: Running Gremlins and Hornets, he rang up five national-event titles in Pro Stock, plus he and Arons built the engines for another winner, the Maskin & Kanners Hornet X.

Another doorslammer name getting big recognition is Booth’s fellow Michigan native, Dave Boertmann. He was a very prolific winner in Stock and Super Stock on both the NHRA and IHRA sides, most famously in a Dodge Coronet wagon. Boertmann’s place in drag folklore was assured at the 1971 NHRA Summernationals in Englishtown, New Jersey, where he faced his wife, Judi, in the first husband-wife final in NHRA history. For the record, Judi got the winner when hubby lit the bottom bulb.

Other honorees include the famed Canadian fuel tuner Bernie Fedderly, who became John Force’s co-crew chief with the esteemed Austin Coil; ex-racer, tech guru and later Petersen Publishing executive Harry Hibler; the Indiana-based dragster team of Hirata, Hobbs & Vodnick, who thumped a red-lighting Garlits at the 1963 U.S. Nationals; the Gasser legend from Missouri, K.S. Pittman; the late Dick Rosberg, best known for partnering on the Fighting Irish Funny Cars; Ansen Automotive co-founder Louis Senter; and historian Robert C. Post, a curator at the Smithsonian.

The induction ceremonies are set for March 14, 2013, in conjunction with the NHRA Gatornationals, at the Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites in Gainesville, Florida. For more information, visit Garlits.com.